you are the silence in between
by daughter-of-october
Summary: [Characters: Ling Yao, Lan Fan, Lei Yao, Jun Li] # Summary: Making history had never been more complicated. # Companion: 'oh no, not now' # Additional pieces: 'in a city so dead' and 'still fighting dragons with you'


**_you are the silence in between_**

* * *

**Characters**: Ling Yao, Lan Fan, Lei Yao, Jun Li

**Summary**: Making history had never been more complicated.

**Companion**: 'oh no, not now'

**Additional pieces**: 'in a city so dead' and 'still fighting dragons with you'

* * *

Her stance was firm as she removed her mask to rest it on his desk. "I came to say goodbye," she said as she brushed back a rebellious strand of her hair. "I will leave in the morning to return to our hometown."

"Is there a reason why you have to leave in such a hurry?" he inquired, lowering a file.

"Yes," she replied in all honesty. "My clan is considering me for an arranged marriage."

Instantly, his mood shifted and he dropped the file to slam his hands onto the table. "A-an arranged marriage? Impossible!" he declared. "I don't allow it. Unpack your suitcase, you are staying, Lan Fan. Your elders can marry themselves off – but not you!"

"With all due respect," she replied. "This is hardly your business. You are not the only one who has obligations towards a family. I have to demonstrate my loyalty and sincerity as well."

"B-by marrying some fool twice your age? You can't be serious, Lan Fan. You love me."

"Marriage hardly equals love in our country … and I will _never_ be your … your _concubine_. I have my pride as well – and I won't throw it away! I gave up my childhood and my arm – but I refuse to surrender my pride as well. This will never happen."

"And I won't surrender you," he snapped, grabbing her wrist. "Lan Fan, are you really rejecting an emperor's love for some … _loveless_, arranged marriage that will benefit no one but a bunch of old men who never did anything for you? The very same men who shunned you for what happened in Amestris, who are still blaming you for Fu's death?!"

"You can't understand this!" she hissed back at him, forgetting her usual calm and submissive attitude. "They may have shunned me and blamed me for everything that went wrong on the journey but they are the current clan head until we have a new one. If I refuse their order, the entire clan will head into a stage of chaos because I am one of the few people who are still left from the core of the family. I … I have to stride forwards fearlessly to set an example."

This was the moment when he lost it. He charged forward, holding her wrists firmly and pulling her against his own body. "I won't let this happen," he declared with a dark growl as the greed in his heart showed its face once more, surfacing in a possessiveness that was nearly madness. "You are mine, Lan Fan, and I refuse to give you up."

Her face was stoic as they tumbled backwards and she did not even flinch when her back hit the wall. "Why do you have to make this so complicated?" she asked tiredly. "I have no other choice. My family is among the strongest warrior clans. If we drown in chaos and disorder, there might be a riot and a riot can lead to a civil war."

"Your elders will have to learn that even with Fu gone the old rules are still in act – and one of them said that no one who is directly related to him can be married off that easily. You will stay by my side. You will be my one and only wife. This is the way it will happen."

_"No,"_ she replied. "I would be honoured to be your wife, Ling, but no. Pride and honour are like the blood in my veins and duty comes always before love. I can't give up those things without giving up the very part that makes me the one I am. I cannot surrender."

"Ling, let go of her, _now_," a strict voice ordered and he obeyed, taking a step back and turning his head. His uncle stood in the doorway, katana half-way unsheathed, dark eyes burning with the fervour no one had seen for many years. Lei Yao was one of the few people from his father's court Ling had asked to stay when he had become emperor because the man was wise beyond his years and full of compassion for those who had not been as lucky as he was.

At the side, Lan Fan sunk into a deep bow, indicating that she, like everyone else as well, respected the former 30th prince greatly and far more than his position required. "Your Highness…" she whispered as her gaze stayed on the ground by his feet.

"Would you mind to explain, Ling?" the man in the grey robe asked calmly.

"I … I lost control when we argued," the emperor admitted, feeling like a little child who was facing someone else's disappointment for the very first time. He despised the feeling greatly.

"Lan Fan," the man addressed her. "Are you okay? You hit the wall quite hard, didn't you?"

She raised her head, staying in her place. "I am fine," she replied before she lowered her gaze again, avoiding his eyes as well as she could.

"Why did you come?" Ling asked unable to conceal his anger as his fists clenched by his sides.

"I was taking a walk in the garden when I heard your argument. Arguably, I first felt the turmoil but when I got into the water garden beneath your window, I heard enough to decide that I should pay a visit," the man said as he brushed back a strand of his hair. "I ask you again, Ling, would you mind to explain your behaviour?"

"She … she doesn't want to marry me," he spit out. "I kept telling her that I don't care about her arm or her line-"

"-which is nearly as good as our own but, please, continue," his uncle interrupted smoothly.

"Yes," Ling said exasperated. "And … I saw the way marriage works in Amestris. They marry for love. They marry because they want to. Granted, there are some arranged marriages as well but … they have better reasons to marry than to say that _it is tradition_ and that _the former emperors did the same_. I give everything for this country but … I want at least a few things for myself."

Lei's mouth curled up into a faint smile. "I understand," he said before his eyes rested on Lan Fan once more. "Is there something you would like to add, Lan Fan?"

"No," she replied, looking up to him for a moment.

"You can stand straight, by the way," the man said as he crossed his arms. "I got a few things to say. First of all, Ling, you are an idiot. I don't know why you brought up the topic in first place but there are better ways to discuss such an important topic and the odds that a woman accepts your proposal are generally better if you don't slam her against a wall."

"Her family is about to arrange a marriage for her," the emperor snapped. "And…"

"…you are still the same greedy little child you used to be," his uncle said as he sighed. "Secondly, I was not aware that you want the entire palace to be informed about your secret relationship. I had not assumed that this was supposed to be an open secret."

Lan Fan paled considerably as Ling huffed annoyed, rolling his eyes.

"Thirdly, I want to warn you, Ling. This kind of thing rarely ends well," the man in the grey robe said as he leaned against the wall. "In too many cases it ends in despair and tears – something you surely don't want to bring over Lan Fan and yourself, correct?"

"You know nothing!"

"Quite the contrary, Ling. I have been at this court far longer than you. I have seen more than you – because I have open eyes, eyes that see everything."

"Prince Lei, Emperor Ling, can I be dismissed?" Lan Fan asked, fiddling with the ribbons of her mask. "No matter what I want, I have to leave early in the morning."

"Good night," Ling said, upholding the stare that was supposed to pierce his uncle.

"Sleep well," the older man said with a small smile as he nodded at her.

She bowed once more before she left the room, her footsteps fading out after a few metres.

"So, what if you have seen everything? I highly doubt that you were in my place before!" Ling snapped, wondering whether he could beat his uncle in a duel to shut him up.

"And this were you are mistaken," Lei replied smoothly as he sighed deeply. "There are not many people who know this story … but I guess that I should share it with you. Just like you, I once was an ambitious prince of the Yao-clan. I wanted the clan to be richer and stronger than any other clan and even though I was one of the youngest children of your grandfather, I was also one of the few who had a high possibility to succeed since I was his favourite son."

"I know this," Ling said as he collapsed on his chair, rubbing his temples.

"But you don't know why I didn't become emperor," Lei said with a small smirk. "It would have been me – if I had not made the crucial mistake of falling in love. I fell easily for her and that was my downfall. She had been your grandfather's bodyguard when I just arrived at the court to stay here permanently. She was not the only one but she was the only one who was allowed to stay close to him – father had a fine nose and disliked the smell of sweat and sake."

"She was far older than you, wasn't she? You were just ten when you arrived here…"

"She was nine and a half year old," his uncle said. "She shared many qualities with Lan Fan – just as proud and duty bound. It took me months to get her name and nearly a year before she removed her mask in my presence. I worked nearly two years on getting her to play or spar with me because she kept rambling about how this was not proper. I didn't care. She was nice and could handle a weapon. Plus, she never complained when her clothes got dirty when we played. In short, she was my perfect match in any way."

"So you should understand me."

"I do understand you but I also understand Lan Fan because I had nearly ten years to think about all of this," Lei replied. "I was fifteen when I realised that I had fallen for her – and that was when I threw all my glorious plans to overthrow my brother who was just 'acting emperor' at that time because I needed more time to consider how I could make her mine."

"And now, oh wise one, what was your brilliant master plan."

"Actually, I failed that time," he shrugged. "The only thing I came up with was having a secret relationship with her for years that ended when she suddenly disappeared. I did some research and found out that I got her pregnant and that she had a daughter before she went missing. Her cousin nearly killed me when he saw me – that's why I never tried to find out more about her."

"Why didn't she tell you that she was pregnant? You would have married her and everything would have been fine, wouldn't it?" Ling asked as he rolled his eyes.

"It was during the Fei-crisis when the Yao-clan was on verge of war with those sneaky bastards," Lei said as he sighed deeply. "Rumour was on the streets that – to uphold peace and everything – the then-prince of the Yao-clan would marry a member of the Fei-clan. You were far too young so everyone thought that it would be me – only that there was never such a plan. For her, however, it was the only logical consequence: I would marry the Fei-girl and forget about her. Knowing her, she was heartbroken and started new somewhere else."

"So what are you telling me to do?"

"First step: get a clear picture of what you really want and what you truly need. Personally, I have to admit that she always knew better than me what I needed … and I fear that Lan Fan is just like her – that means that she will make the decisions you are too weak to make," Lei said as he yawned. "Secondly, travel to Central City and have dinner at the Golden Dragon. Things might be a little bit clearer afterwards. Oh, and tell the owner that I said hello."

"I see."

* * *

The waitress somehow balanced heavy plates of food as she literally danced through the crowded restaurant, finally stopping at Ling's table. "What can I get you, man of Xing?" she asked with a carefree voice that spoke of a childhood running free and wild, never working under the harsh sun on the rice fields, never being cut by a katana during training.

"The Homeland Menu," he said, scrutinising her and wondering why Lei had sent him to this place. His uncle was surely a wise man and he never pulled pranks on anyone but this seemed strange. The waitress could not be the person Lei had wanted him to talk to, right? She was just another onyx-eyed, pale-skinned porcelain doll, no one to attract anyone's attention for a longer time. She could not be the one his uncle had loved once.

"Of course," she said before she turned her head at the entering woman. Black hair cascaded down the newcomer's back, partially bound to a messy bun on top of her head and glittering with silver hair sticks that were most likely hidden knives. This woman had the aura of someone his uncle might have interest taken in, she was the kind of person to take no crap from anyone – and therefore, she would have been a tough enough partner for Lei who was known to be pretty convincing and able to worm his way into anyone's mind.

"That's the boss," the waitress said. " "She raised this business all on her own … working as a cook and waitress for the first few years while moonlighting as a security guard in a private research institute. Personally, I think that she was an imperial guard before she came to Amestris."

"Don't you have orders to take?" the owner asked as she approached, her classical dress shimmering in the artificial light of the restaurant. "You will bring his order to my office. I have to talk with him – and I don't wish to bother the regular customers."

"Of course," the waitress said as she nodded at Ling. "I was not aware that you know her personally, sir. I apologise for my lack of conduct."

The young emperor only nodded as he followed the owner into a neat and clean office. "You seem to recognise me," he stated calmly.

"You look a lot like him when he was in your age," she replied softly.

"Who are you – other than the owner of this restaurant?" he asked. "What was your role?"

She was silent for a moment. "You are not a lot like him but I seems like you repeated his only regret," she said as she looked at her hands. "My name is Jun Li and I served Emperor Jun Yao, your grandfather, until his death."

"You are not mentioned in any scrolls…"

"Because my departure from the court was not part of an honourable discharge – I kind of discharged myself and this did not please the people who take care of those things."

She was spunky and beneath her calm behaviour was a fiery spirit with great intelligence. Ling could understand why Lei had liked her – she was unpredictable enough to keep his interest for a very long time and this was what his uncle had probably looked for, considering that he had been single for the past thirteen

years – for exactly the an amount longer than the time Jun Li dad been missing from court and therefore his life.

Jun Li turned her head as a sigh escaped her lips. "He sent you so that I can tell you what he couldn't say, am I correct?" she asked as she slowly shook her head. "I used to be one of the best, great tactician and good fighter. I was … adored by many and yet, I never lost touch with my roots. I think that what I started back then was the only time I acted irrationally."

"You were a dragon warrior, weren't you? Only bound to my grandfather's orders and nothing else, right?" Ling asked as he stared at the complicate tattoo that went from the wrist of her left arm up to her shoulder. "This is why you are beating yourself up like this – because you knew indeed better than this…"

"You have good eyes," she complimented. "Indeed, this was my dream and I made it come true. I worked hard for it, a woman who was barely more than a child … it took me years to make my peers realise that I was better taken seriously. I lived for this dream. It had been everything I wanted since I was able to think. It was what kept me going through everything."

"So, why did you give in to Lei in that case? You knew that you gambled with high stakes…"

"Did you ever see your uncle wanting something? He convinced me that it would be worth the risk – and I was foolish enough to believe him," she said. "You are … barely eighteen, yes, I know what it's like to be this young. I was there once as well, wasn't I?"

"So, why did it happen, oh wise one?" he asked.

"I was immature and still mentally stuck in the stage where I believed that everything would work out somehow," she said calmly. "I had known the life of a warrior since I was eight years old. I never stood a chance to realise that 'normal people' acted entirely different. He was the opposite of me. He was wise beyond his years and … very convincing. I will never claim that he manipulated me but … I was too curious about him for my own good. If I had been a little bit more experienced in real world things, it would never have happened."

"…did you get anything out of … your relationship? I mean … your tattoo has red ink in it. You were a captain of the forces at only nineteen, weren't you? That makes you one of the youngest to ever claim such an important position."

"I was never some whore who slept her way up to the top," Jun Li said harshly. "I knew that this would be the last nail to my coffin and I made sure that it never got that messy. My achievements were mine alone and Lei never did anything for my career. If anything, he was in my way because he kept me awake and decided that I should be his personal trainer."

"Were you the one to teach him his katana skills? I saw him outmatching a guard last week – a guard who was previously rumoured to be the best when it comes to that weapon…"

"I am no hypocrite. When I take a job, I do it properly. Lei signed up for katana lessons and he got them," she replied. "Don't mistake me for one of the people who bow to every noble."

"You don't seem to mind to speak about your relationship with him…"

"Because it was not all that scandalous," she snapped. "I would appreciate if you wouldn't go and scream it from the roofs because it might harm his reputation. Mine is gone in any case but I don't wish for him to meet the same fate. It would be a shame."

"Wasn't it a crime for a member of the royal house to be involved with a commoner?" he asked.

"No," she replied. "Plus, my family is not half as _common_ as people tend to assume. We aren't royal but we have served the Yao-clan long enough to be considered lowest nobility. If I had not panicked and left the country in such a hurry, a marriage might have been possible. The elders of my clan would have been overjoyed and … judging your clan from the members I've known would have learned to accept it at some point as well. We were good at playing it mostly safe … so no one knew about this."

"You would have accepted a proposal?"

"I was _pregnant_," she replied. "I was _desperate_ to save as much honour and reputation of my family as possible. If I had been in possession of my rationality, I would have asked him whether he truly would marry the Fei-girl for the sake of his clan. I wouldn't have run away." She laughed bitterly. "This is the first time in all those years I talked about this."

"You do know that you are responsible for the lack of an heir for his line?"

"I can wash my hands clean of this," she replied. "I gave birth to an heiress. I only assume that he was unable to claim her as his because of my cousin who was always overprotective. He questioned me, wondered why I allowed myself to get involved in a game I had no chance to win. It … was … I was taken seriously for the very first time in my life. I had influence on someone important and, yes, I was helplessly in love. It's strange how fast our roles were exchanged, how fast I became the one to call the shots. Lei needed me, he depended on my knowledge. I taught him the ways of an assassin, how to blackmail and how to fight with poisoned words."

"So, he is your protégé, the one who learned everything from you…"

"This is the way of a woman like me. I wanted the man I loved and still love to be save even without me around. Teaching him to defend himself was the best way I could think of," she replied. "I never intended to make him my puppet. This is not my way – and neither is it the way of any other honourable woman. We live – if necessary in someone else's shadow but we always choose the people we are following."

"Is this the woman or the bodyguard speaking?" Ling asked tiredly. He had hoped for a revelation, for something to show him a way to save both his and Lan Fan's happiness but this seemed to be impossible at the moment. Jun Li had seen the worst case scenario and she had lived through it. She hardly held the secret of how the both things would go hand in hand.

"That's an interesting question," she replied. "I guess that it's both, I am as much a woman as I am a protector and … the old feelings linger. I do not regret that I love him – I only regret the way I allowed myself to become this depending."

"So, when you love him, why did you never return to Xing? He would take you back any day…"

She sighed as she looked up to the moon shining through the window. "I know," she said as she looked back at the emperor. "It's just … as long as I remember, I am still there. It was always one of my better features to go without leaving."

"But your memory tortures him," he replied, remembering his uncle's pained face.

"Because he tends to forget the bitter parts and deludes himself by remembering only the good days when the sun shone. I have seen him not too long ago, he looked … well but not fine. This is what I can take blame for – that I left a hole in his heart. No one can blame me for more."

"You … you have seen him? Were you in Xing after all?"

"No, no," she shook her head. "My cousin would have sniffed me out and this would have gotten ugly. Don't tell anyone – especially no one from my family – where I am. The distance in between is what I need. The distance and my exile keep me breathing." She shrugged. "Lei found me here, tried to convince me to return to Xing as his wife."

"But since you are still here, you refused, right?"

"Of course," she said. "One day, I might stand by his side as his wife because I do love him more than the entire world but … at the moment, I care more about my sister's happiness than my own. So if you break Lan Fan's heart, I will come and cut you down – mercilessly."

"I wouldn't have guessed that you are her sister," Ling said as he realised the irony of this all – and the reason why Lei had known Lan Fan's name without having been introduced to her before. As Jun Li's former lover, he had seen probably any member of their family at least once.

"You seem to know more than I do about what I could do to marry her."

"You have two possibilities: you hand over the throne to someone else or you need a civil war. If you were no longer emperor, hardly anyone would care about the one you marry and if there's a civil war, you could marry a extremely loyal member of your own clan in order to stabilise the country … after all, any other wife might be an assassin out to kill you," she said as the waitress entered with the tray of food. "There, I'll leave you to your thoughts and deal with my own business for the moment."

* * *

Lan Fan sat on the roof of her family's mansion as she heard how someone landed lightly behind her. She turned her head and nodded. "Your Highness," she stated calmly.

"Lei would be enough," he said as he sat down next to her, staring off into the distance as his trademark grey robe shimmered under the moonlight. "If it weren't so damn ironic, I'd sit back and laugh all the way … but it's about Ling and Ling is my nephew … I care too much about him."

"What do you mean, Prince Lei?" she asked as she wrapped her coat closer around herself.

"History always repeats itself – I just hadn't though that it would come like this … the basics are the same: the royal falling for the guard, a thing done hundred times in the classical dramas – only with the difference that this is real life and that we cannot ignore the consequences that are always swept under the carpet in those stories…" He sighed deeply. "What I mean is that I can understand Ling's point of view and his belief that he might simply change the rules to get what he wants. But I am old enough to realise that this is not as easy as it seems. A few years back, I would have acted like him; I would have overthrown the oldest rules of this empire just to be with the one I love. But … with age and loneliness comes the realisation that even the emperor is powerless against the ancient traditions."

"So, why didn't you tell him this? Why did he leave for Amestris to meet up with someone when this person holds no further secrets?" Lan Fan asked as she turned her gaze as the lonely figure of her cousin who strolled across the yard, his katana drawn and his stance rigid.

"She … she may be able to say what I cannot bring myself to tell him," he said. "There … there are two ways how Ling might get his will but … neither of them will be to his liking. She never cared about those things – she said what she believed to be necessary to be said."

"You mean … the civil war or giving up the throne thing? This is … common sense," Lan Fan said as she shrugged. "I thought about this a lot while I travelled home."

"As you should have, yes," he nodded. "And you are right – this should have been obvious but … it's still Ling and Ling is not exactly the master of common sense. I love the boy but he hardly thinks about the consequences before he rushes into something. This is why I was always happy to know you by his side. You are more an adviser than a bodyguard anyway."

"You are flattering me too much, Prince Lei," she said as she looked away. "It is not a bodyguard's place to question her master's actions – it's just her duty to be prepared for the consequences."

"You give yourself too little credit," he said as he patted her shoulder. "You come from a family with the greatest qualifications. You should be proud of yourself."

"Thank you," she said as she bowed her head. "Say, you have been an adviser for a very long time – so why are you here instead in Amestris? My mind is set, I don't need an adviser. He might."

"I am not only the boy's adviser but also his uncle. And while his adviser should be telling him what to do, his uncle can afford to shut up and let him make his own mistakes. This seems cruel but it is necessary because he is old enough to make his own decisions, his own faults. Jun Li is someone I trust with his heart and his throne any day."

"My sister? That's why she disappeared? Because she loved you and shouldn't have?"

"This might have been part of her reasoning, yeah," he admitted as he rubbed his neck. "Anyway, she is kinda stuck in limbo. I asked her to return the last time I was in Amestris but she keeps telling me that she still has things to atone for. You know your family's obsession with honour better than I do and, well, she kinda thinks that she stained this honour when she became pregnant. Plus, she sees herself as someone who offers those who left Xing a second chance."

"She never cared about clans and all that stuff so I can see this," Lan Fan agreed.

"This was part of the reason why I always wanted her as my empress, yes," Lei nodded.

Footsteps behind them made them flinch and turn their heads around.

"I believe I told you to never return again, Yao," a tall man growled. "Why are you here?"

"Well, the sanest group of elderly men your clan has invited me to discuss the possibility of a marriage between me and your cousin over here – an offer I turned down for reasons both of us know," the prince replied as he rose. "If you want to fight this out, you can have this."

"Yeah, actually, I guess I will gladly accept this offer," the warrior said. "Lan Fan, you are the referee, okay? Make sure that silky robes over here doesn't cheat."

"Of course," she said as she followed the men over to the training grounds. "Just don't kill each other, yes? This would only cause trouble."

"Sorry, Lan, but that's something I cannot promise," her cousin said with a faint smirk.

"Pretty arrogant for someone who spent years in bed because he was too sick to move…"

"Half a year because I was recovering from a wound, correct," the man said as he unsheathed his katana and easily blocked the first blow. Lan Fan knew that if he was anywhere close to his old skill, he would win this battle with ease. No matter how sick he had been a few years back, he had been among the strongest fighters of her family ever since her sister had disappeared and he had lost the only serious competition he had ever had. Actually, this fight was unnecessary and sure as hell not about Lei's current presence in their house. This was about old grudges.

* * *

"…what am I supposed to do now?" Ling muttered as he smashed another vase against the wall. "I … I am trapped. Whatever I do, I will end up people I care for. This was never what I wanted."

"Brother?" Mei asked as she appeared in the doorway, biting her lip and seemingly generally confused. "How was your trip to Amestris? Did you find the answers you looked for?"

"It was … like I feared – there is no clear answer," he replied as he collapsed onto his chair. "I have no idea what I am supposed to do. Uncle isn't here to give my any advise – where is he, anyway? I was not aware that he has any business away from the capital at the moment…"

"He left with Lan Fan when she departed to get to her hometown," the princess explained as she approached her half-brother. "He seemed to be in deep thoughts – maybe some elitist family up there offered him the hand of one of their daughters … _again_."

Ling rose too fast and his chair toppled over. "Mei, we are leaving," he snapped. "Don't bother getting Alphonse, we have to travel very fast. Let's get horses and reach the city before the night is over. I will never forgive Lei for not informing me of this … such a liar."

The princess sighed as she hurried after him, braids flying in the wind. "This might not be the best idea you had so far, Ling," she warned as he dragged her along. "Why are you even angry?"

"Because if Lan Fan and Lei both left for the same small town because of some arranged marriage, chances are pretty high that they are supposed to marry each other," he said. "And this is something I cannot stand for, do you understand? I … can't have that."

Mei nodded as she followed him to the stables where they effortlessly got two horses and off they went. The princess understood Ling's anger to a certain degree. No matter how smart and logical he usually judged, Lan Fan was his weakness, the hole in his neat chain of arguments. He loved her too much to consider any consequences of their relationship. Mei knew that lesser princesses would have used the chance to backstab Ling while he was weak and confused but she was better than that. She would show nothing but fierce loyalty because Ling had had the chance to erase her clan and Lan Fan could have killed her many times along the past years.

Ling started to understand how his uncle felt about Jun Li. The woman in red with the dragon tattoo was the silent space in between of what he said and what he thought. To his uncle, she was the reminder of the darkest hours in his life, a reminder that would forever linger in his soul and heart. But she also indicated a new day for she had been the freedom after his years of imprisonment when he had followed the rules. Jun Li was head and heart, Lei's soul. Without her, he had been no longer a threat for anyone – thus, he had never been assassinated in years.

Lan Fan's face was stoic as she watched the men fight about a grudge that should bother none of them at this point. Their blades collided and sparks flew. A part of her wanted to separate them but no, she could not. This was not a fight on life and death – this was about honour and she would only bring shame over everyone by stepping in. Her own weapons were too short to bring harm to them and for a moment she wished that she had not refused to use her sister's katana so many years ago. But right now, her focus was on her cousin, on Chao who had been the calm and collected one for as long as she could remember, and she was terrified at what she saw. His eyes, pale blue like her sister's, were void of any light. The colour of the sky at day was stained by a thirst for violence and blood she had never seen with him before.

Lei realised quickly that Chao was far stronger than he could ever be. For a prince, he was a skilled fighter but Chao had earned his money with duels and other fights for more than twenty years. His muscles were stronger than his own and his katana skills outmatched his by far because Lei was Jun Li's student and Jun Li had never been as good with a sword as her cousin.

The fight became more frantic as Lei gave in to the thrill.

Lan Fan's face stayed stoic because she had no idea what she should do in order to prevent them from spilling each other's blood. She unconsciously released the blade of her automail – just in case that she would have to interfere, she wanted to use her automail rather than her kunai.

But she never got the chance.

The fight had reached its peek and she knew that it would be over soon when she saw the girl in the pale blue yukata – bright blue eyes opened widely and barefooted. Lan Fan recognised her instantly but even this was not fast enough to prevent what happened next. The girl – foolish and driven by the instinct to protect the only person who ever showed her kindness and warmth – charged at the men to block Lei's next strike into Chao's direction with her kunai that was not even sharpened. Lan Fan moved as well but she was not fast enough to block the attack or to intercept with it as a point before it reached its full power. So she only watched how the girl, only eight years old, was thrown backwards and hit a fence.

She was, however, capable of ending the fight right afterwards and this was good because she had seen the raw wrath in Chao's eyes and his will to avenge the one who had gotten hurt while she had tried to protect him. "This is enough," Lan Fan said sharply as she grabbed the hilts of both katana, forcing the men to lower them. "Your foolishness endangered already someone and I will not stand for another accident tonight. If you really want to fight it out, get yourself some pitchforks and discuss it again." She brushed past them, hurrying over to the slumped figure of the little girl and helped her to sit up. "Are you okay?" she asked calmly.

"My back … hurts," the girl muttered quietly. "Why were they fighting?"

"Because we are stupid fools," Chao said as he knelt down next to her. "Can you get up? I will see to your wounds and afterwards, you can go to bed and I will make sure that you won't have training tomorrow morning so that you can recover a little bit."

Lei, on the other hand, was frozen as he stood there, his katana still grabbed tightly. This was just another demonstration on Chao's maturity – a few years back, he would have mercilessly cut down anyone who hurt someone he cared for instead of seeing to his friend's wounds first. Now, he first saw to the wounds before he chose to take revenge. But the girl … was achingly familiar, a living reminder of her mother, of his Jun Li. He now understood the dimensions of Chao's hatred because Chao had been Jun Li's protector, the one who had dealt with all her minor problems. When she had been a queen or maybe even an empress, he had been her knight – and he had taken this job very, very serious for all those years.

* * *

Ling and Mei reached the house many hours before dawn and the first thing Ling realised was that the lights in the building where Lan Fan and her part of the family lived were still on. He sneaked over to the window of the living room where he felt the biggest amount of active human chi. What he saw was deeply … _comforting_. Lan Fan's older cousin, maybe the strongest warrior of her clan and the entire town since Fu's death, leaned against a wall, his katana at his side and the small figure of a sleeping child in his arms. A set of bandages was scattered all over the room and Chao's eyes were closed as well as his chest rose and fell gently. His own uncle, Lei, sat on a mat, staring out at the stars as he seemed to be lost in his thoughts and Lan Fan leaned against a wall, sleeve ripped apart and the blade of her automail showing. Her eyes were open but thoughtful as she looked at the cup of tea in her hands.

"There was a huge fight," Mei muttered as she bit her lip. "I guess that the girl got in between."

"I'd say so too," Ling agreed as he looked at the injured girl. "She … she is Lei's daughter, huh?"

The window was opened as Lan Fan looked out. "Get in, I am tired to ask any questions," she yawned as she stepped back. "It was an eventful night for all of us."

"Hey, Ling," Lei said as he raised his head. "How are you?"

"I need to come to a solution and I guess that I got some sort of plan," he said as he sat down. "Mei, do you know how the other clans think about my reign? Do they accept me?"

His half-sister slowly shook her head. "It is difficult," she said. "Some of them dislike the Yao-clan because it is a fact that he hardly ever lost a war. This is also the reason why they refrain from an open war against you. Others believe that you are too young and not experienced enough."

"What do they think about Lei?"

"He is someone very respected at the court and everywhere else because he has taken care of important issues before and he never acted strictly upon the interests of his clan because he always kept the focus on what's best for Xing," she replied, wondering what he wanted to hear. "I believe that the fact that he is your adviser calms those who worry because of your age."

Ling was silent for a moment. His goal had been to fight for the best of his clan and now he wondered whether he had come anywhere close to this goal. He looked at Lan Fan who frowned, trying to understand what he was planning before his gaze shifted and rested on his uncle for a moment. Lei's face was expressionless and for a moment, Ling saw his father in him. "The clans swore loyalty to the current leader of the Yao-clan and not to me as a person, correct?" he asked, his eyes never leaving Lei's face.

"Y-yes," Mei confirmed, her voice wavering as she started to understand.

"Lei, get up," Ling said as he uncrossed his arms. "What was the reason why you refrained from overthrowing my father? You had the army, you could have done so with ease."

"A country at war is no successful country and a war should never be the method to take a throne. Plus, my goal was to unify the country and a war wouldn't have helped my case – at all," his uncle replied with a shrug. "And your father was a decent emperor."

"One moment, please," Lan Fan said as she took a step forward. "What are you playing at?"

"My goal was to protect everyone and yet, I failed. Your injury and your bronchitis, the fact that you coughed up blood a few weeks ago – that's evidence for my failure along with your arm and your grandfather's death," Ling said with a small shrug. "Maybe, I am just a few years too early and need to gather more experience before I can reign properly. And since I learned an important lesson in Amestris, I decided that I'd rather attain more knowledge about my country before I will finally become the emperor I dreamt of being for such a long time."

"You … you are going to give up the throne?" Mei asked in shock. "W-what will happen to us?"

He patted her head. "Don't worry, Mei," he said. "I assure you that Lei will honour the promises I gave and that he will protect the Chang-clan just like I protect them."

"You can't be serious," Lei said while Lan Fan had fallen silent, unable to express her shock. "I … I have given up on that position years ago. I was happy as an adviser. Why are you doing this?"

"Because you have the authority to bring true change to Xing, you can unify the tribes as you have planned to since your childhood, uncle," Ling said. "Plus, most of the current leaders of the other tribes are half-siblings of yours and so you will be able to argue with them on an equal level instead of having to make them respect you first. You have the qualification to bring Xing into this century. People trust you more than they trust me anyway. Please."

"What will you do after … you went through with this?" Lei asked calmly.

"I … I will travel and gain new experiences. Lan Fan can come with me if she wants to. This will allow her to recover completely from her injuries and I won't have to worry that another collision with a wall will have her coughing up blood again," Ling said as he looked at his long-time companion. "And in about ten years or so, Xing might be accepting me as its emperor again."

"I … I am not sure whether I would be capable of handling so much responsibility," he muttered.

"Well, I believe that you always had one ace left, right?" the young man chuckled. "Didn't you call her empress of your heart, uncle? It's time to bring her home."

"I doubt that she would return like that," Lei said with a wistful smile.

"Jun Li was always one to surprise everyone," Lan Fan said after having restored her stoic face.

Mei exhaled deeply as she bowed to Lei. "In that case," she started, "I am very honoured to be the first to swear loyalty and support in the name of my entire people to you, Emperor Lei."

He bowed his head. "I promise you, Princess Mei, that I will protect your tribe along with every other tribe and every single citizen of Xing," he replied.

* * *

"Oi, Lan Fan!" Ling called out as he hurried after her. "Where have you been?"

She turned around, hair styled neatly and out of uniform for a change. "I was in Amestris to pick up a surprise for the new emperor," she said. "Mei and Alphonse went with me but stayed in Resembool when I had a smaller automail repair there."

He caught up with her and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Are you going to miss the palace?" he inquired as he looked around, taking in the luxurious beauty.

She shook her head. "No," she said. "This was a nice experience but … I felt like a caged bird. I preferred the times when we slept under the stars of the desert when we were in Xerxes. How about you? Aren't you going to miss the comfort of the palace, _Prince_ Ling?"

He chuckled. "No, not really," he said. "We are just eighteen, aren't we? Most people our age haven't saved the world or have attained leadership of such a huge country – most of them never even had a proper job." He chuckled. "I think that it will be good for us to get out of this controlled environment for a while to figure out who we are when stripped of our titles and roles."

She nodded as she stepped over to the balustrade, looking down at the hall of the throne where Lei sat, crown on his head and the elaborate robe around his shoulders. "He fits in," she stated.

"Yes, indeed," Ling said as he rested his hands on her shoulders. "Looks like he got rid of the adoring crowds for a moment … I have been watching since this morning how everyone came to swear loyalty to him … he got even more support than I because he got all the important leaders while I was only visited by the second-in-commands."

"I was watching since the Dragon Warriors came to refresh their oath," Lan Fan explained. "It was surely a nice experience to see so much loyalty…"

Ling was about to reply when the door to the hall was opened once again. "I believed that everyone had taken their vows…" he muttered as he leaned forward.

Lan Fan chuckled as she nudged him. "I wasn't kidding when I said that Jun Li is always good for one hell of a surprise," she stated amused.

* * *

Lei had nearly fallen asleep after a long day of ceremonies and oaths when he had heard how the door had opened once again. A part of his tired brain wondered whether Chao had decided to come himself to refresh his oath of loyalty in a more public setting but then again, the warrior-clan had been the second one to refresh their oaths after the Changs. And so he opened his eyes to stare at a motionless woman at the other side of the hall. Her hair was down yet braided partially and her face was painted neatly. If it had not been for the tattoo on her arm, he would have mistaken her for a random noblewoman but there was only one with this tattoo and while he was been more than surprised to see her, he could not have been happier to see her here.

"Jun Li," he breathed and she nodded slowly before she approached him smoothly, sinking onto her knees as she reached him. "My lord, I have returned," she said.

And so, he pulled her back onto her feet to lean his forehead against hers. "I can see this," he replied. "And just as usual, you may be late but never too late. I was about to write you a letter to urge you to come back but now that you are here…"

"My cousin wrote me a letter and said that you'd need me because otherwise, you'd blow up the country," she said amused as their fingers interlocked with the practiced ease of years. "Plus, Lan Fan arrived in my restaurant and told me that I had to come home. She might even have claimed to be acting on Imperial Orders but I won't swear on that."

He laughed as he squeezed her hands gently. "Nine years since you have been here and yet, you still fit in," he said as he twirled her around. "And Chao was right – I need you by my side. And I believe that I might argue with my siblings and get through with a change in the rules," he said as he kissed the ring on her finger, a ring she had not worn like this in many years.

She smiled. "Do as you please, I will support you till my dying day."

* * *

Ling enjoyed the sunlight as he leaned back. To visit his hometown without some sort of hidden agenda was rare but nice nonetheless. Chao had been grumpy, unwilling to admit that Lei did a good job and the former emperor swore that one day, he would understand the grudge between the men. Lan Fan was happier now, her footsteps had gotten lighter and with Mei's help, she had beaten the bronchitis a few weeks back. They had travelled a lot since then, avoiding bigger cities and discovering the smaller ones. Lan Fan had earned the respect of the Chang-clan when she had token down a bear that had endangered the safety of a village and all in all, the Yao-clan had never been more popular within the entirety of Xing's tribes.

This might also have been Lei's doing who had served as an adviser under Ling's father and who was experienced when it came to dealing with his siblings and other distanced relatives. Along with Jun Li who had been named adviser officially while everyone in the capital knew that she held the emperor's heart, Lei had been carefully unravelling rules older than any of their clans – to make Xing more modern and stronger in competition with other countries. Jun Li was respected for her sharp mind and her wit and envied for the way she had been allowed to ressume her duties at the court as if she had not been gone for so many years. The commander of the Dragon Warriors who had been her successor had complained and uttered critic on her reinstatement as commander. Well, this had not been anything a short spar had not solved and pathetically beaten, the commander had shut up and accepted his position as second-in-command.

Ling had not been personally present but he had heard an enthusiastic report from Min Li, Lei's daughter who still lived in her mother's birth house because Chao refused to endanger her life. Well, this explained why Chao had not been with them when they had left for Amestris – he had had someone else to protect and at the moment, Ling's social status equalled Min Li's.

Talking of the girl, there she came again, carrying a bunch of wildflowers and skipping up the stairs that led to her family's graveyard, Chao following her, steps gracefully and light. Ling rose from his chair to approach them.

"Jun Li wrote a letter – that's why she is so happy," Chao answered the unasked question. "Looks like silver robe won his battle of words. They are getting officially married."

"Officially married?" Ling inquired as they made their way up the stairs.

"They married in Amestris, right after he found her there the first time," the warrior explained. "And now, Min is incredibly happy and keeps skipping around everywhere."

"Are you … attending the ceremony?"

"Sure, Jun needs a male family member and unless she changes her attitude towards our elders, I don't see her asking one of them," Chao smirked. "Plus, Min wants to go and I am not heartless enough that, no, she can't attend her parents' wedding."

"I asked Lan-Lan and she said that she'd take me if you would be too grumpy," the girl said cheerfully. "And do you know, Ling? When I am all grown up, I will marry Chao."

And for the very first time in all the years Ling had known the stoic warrior, he missed a step and nearly tripped down the stairs. "Isn't he a little bit too old for you?" Ling asked, humouring the girl a little bit. "I mean, shouldn't you marry someone your age?"

"The boys in my grade are stupid," she pouted. "They keep telling me that I can never be a real warrior because I'm a girl and Chao tells me that I can be everything I want to be. That's why he is greater and better than they will ever be. And my mother said that I should always aim for the best instead of giving in after getting the second best."

"Typical Jun Li advise, I see," Lan Fan said as she clapped Chao's shoulder. "Sorry for being late – I had a bone to pick with one of the Cho-boys. He said something about grandfather being a worthless failure and I might have broken his jaw."

Ling had realised a few weeks ago that Lan Fan had developed a certain pride for her family – or that she was now able to show this pride because she was no longer the bodyguard attached to Ling Yao but her own person. This was shown in her newfound confidence, a confidence he found very endearing and fascinating and the way she dealt with children such as Min Li was cute as well because it was an entirely different side of her.

"It's no problem," Chao said calmly, looking ahead. "Let me guess, you already heard as well?"

"I got a letter, yes," Lan Fan replied. "Why aren't you happy for her? This is what she wanted…"

He shrugged. "Maybe because I am worried that they might decide that Min Li would be happier at the court and that it's time to live together like a proper family," he said. "This would leave me all alone in a house full of men far after their prime."

"If and only if Jun Li would take her, you will come with us," Ling said because he knew better than anyone else what it felt like to be caged in a house that was no home anymore. "And even if Min Li stays with you, you could come with us for a few journeys."


End file.
